Christian leaders and opinion-makers are sounding the alarm once again that religious liberty in America is in grave danger following the jailing of county clerk Kim Davis of Rowan, Kentucky, for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
"While five justices on the Supreme Court created this dilemma, it is incumbent upon Congress, and in this case legislators, to ensure orthodox religious beliefs are accommodated," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, in his opinion article published in Charisma News.
Perkins urged Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to call for a special legislative session to provide accommodations for clerks like Davis.
He said the issue is not just about same-sex marriage licenses in Kentucky but rather "about the ability of Christians and other religious people to serve in positions of public trust."
"If this is not resolved in a manner that accommodates the orthodox religious beliefs of Clerk Davis, this will, in effect, establish a reverse religious test barring those who hold biblical views of marriage from positions of public service," Perkins said.
Davis has refused a proposal to allow her deputy clerks to issue marriage license.
Five of her six deputies pledged to US District Judge David Bunning—who sent Davis to jail for contempt of court—said they have started issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Bunning, an appointee of then-president George W. Bush, earlier warned the deputies that they would be back in court if they followed Davis and refused to issue licenses beginning Friday.
Davis remains defiant even behind bars. "My conscience will not allow it," she said. "God's moral law convicts me and conflicts with my duties."
"I've weighed the cost and I'm prepared to go to jail. I sure am," Davis told Fox News earlier on Wednesday. "This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God. This is a Heaven or Hell issue for me and for every other Christian that believes. This is a fight worth fighting."
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had requested Bunning that Davis be heavily fined instead of jailing her, but the judge decided to incarcerate her.
"I don't do this lightly. It's necessary in this case," he said.
Meanwhile, White House spokesman John Earnest said it was "appropriate" that a federal judge has resolved the issue surrounding a Kentucky county clerk's refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
